Ficlets to celebrate Friendship and Love
by toobeauty
Summary: Some ficlets based on the many AU universes I have created along these years ...
1. Love is care

1\. Love is care. (Alex and Phai)

The young prince looked at the bruise on his cheek and sighed. It was getting darker and there was no way he could hide it from his mother.

He took a deep breath, entered the dining room and sat at his usual seat. His mother's yell came almost immediately when she saw his face.

"Who dared to punch you, my little Achilles?"

"Nobody, I was distracted and walked onto a door" he replied while biting a big piece of roasted boar in order to avoid any further explanation.

He would never tell his mother that his Phai had hit him accidentally when they were in their wrestling practice, that the thin brunette had beaten him once again, but Alexander did not worry too much about that.

The young Hephaestion had apologized immediately after the hit and then, when they were alone in the baths, he had looked after Alexander by washing his face with extreme care and kissed the bruise better repeatedly.


	2. Apples and friendship

3\. Friendship and Apples. (from "Apples" universe)

When prince Alexander of Macedon met General Amyntoros's son, he was not happy, he saw him as a rival to the General's affection.

Why did he have to share his own time with the General when the other boy had his father all for himself the rest of the time? the prince wondered, feeling frustrated and a bit afraid.

Alexander looked angry and Lord Amyntoros suspected what the cause might be. He suggested Hephaestion go and offer one of their famous apples to Alexander telling that he knew it was the prince's favourite fruit.

Alexander took the red fruit reluctantly and asked how the brunette knew that. Hephaestion sincerely replied that his father loved Alexander deeply and knew him well. He also told him that the General always talked about him when he got back home.

Alexander looked at the apple, cut it in halves and gave Hephaestion one-half as a peace offering. Both boys smiled to each other and while eating the juicy apple, they began to talk.

An ever-lasting friendship was born by sharing a simple red fruit.


	3. Love in silence

5\. Love in silence. (From "Fire and Signs" universe.)

The mute boy looked at the prince passing by and sighed. He wondered, once again, how it would feel to say aloud all the things he felt for him but that were hidden inside his heart.

However, the young brunette could not do that; he not only did not have his voice but also any fortune or position to offer Alexander, who was not just another youth but the Macedonian heir. Hephaestion only had his designs for his war machines and other inventions and a very vivid imagination and creativity.

He promised himself to work hard to make Philip's army life easier on the battlefield and therefore, he would be helping Alexander too. He wanted to build things to help people to settle down in their own houses in beautiful cities throughout the vast empire the king and his son would be building.

He also promised himself to speak up his feelings as soon as he found his voice back; he knew he could do it. In the meantime, he would continue loving his prince in silence.


	4. Is love really weakness?

_**Is love really a weakness? (From "You are my weakness" universe)**_

Giving in to some of his Companions' pressure, the young Alexander announced to a surprised Hephaestion that he was his only weakness and after that public revelation, the prince decided not to pursue with their intimate relationship.

He explained that he was too young to feel trapped and he wanted to be free in case his heart wanted to choose another owner.

Only when death claimed Hephaestion's life, Alexander felt the heavy weight of his former decision and he finally recognized how wrong he had been all those months before.

Only when life went back to Hephaestion's body through a gift of the gods, Alexander realized that Hephaestion was not his weakness but his strength, his love and his everything.


	5. Messy Love

_**5\. Messy Love (From Messing with Love universe)**_

While Hephaestion was a prisoner of his captors, he had had a lot of time to think when he was conscious. He mainly thought about his lover and what Alexander would be doing to get him back soon.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized how messy their love was at that moment.

Hephaestion would never be Alexander's only again, as Ox had raped him repeatedly; he was no longer a trustful soldier because his Companions and the King might think he had revealed important information during his torture.

He was a complete mess and he was no longer sure if he was worthy of the love of his king.


	6. Love can be chaotic

_**Love can be chaotic. (From "The Rise of the General" universe)**_

When everything ended and nobody was no longer there, Hephaestion let his cyan eyes wander around the banquet room, that just a moment earlier, had been crowded. Those sad blue pools stared at a large stain of red liquid on the marble floor, which was almost copper-coloured now; it was blood that minutes earlier had been still running in Cleitus's veins.

However, Cleitus was dead now; Alexander had run away with his eunuch after having a raging fit; a frightened Roxane had been accompanied to her quarters with her baby and Hephaestion had been left behind to clear the chaos that the drunken Alexander had caused by spearing one of his most loyal Generals.

If he had not loved Alexander so deeply, he would have refused to clean this mess …

Maybe one day, Hephaestion would feel bold enough to tell the king to take care of his own chaos …

Maybe that day had finally arrived.


	7. Easy to love

_**Easy to love. (From "Nine Full Moons" universe)**_

Hephaestion was exhausted; it had been a long and hard day, never knowing how everything would pan out. As usual, the unconditional help of LadyLight and the unexpected visit of so many gods and goddesses had made everything much easier for the lonely man, who could now rest peacefully.

Hestia set the small pinkish bundle on his chest, the little one was wrapped up in a light blue blanket embroidered with tiny Vergina stars that revealed his ancestors' heritage, and Hephaestion felt, for the first time in almost a year, complete and happy.

Baby Phainder was the fruit of true love and it would be very easy to love him deeply from that moment until the stars grew cold.


	8. PS: I love you

_**PS: I love you (From "Five royal Letters" universe)**_

_Dear Phai,_

_I am writing these lines to let you know how my studies are going. Master Aristotle is such a good teacher; he encourages me to be better but I can assure you that he misses you dearly. He misses your witty remarks, your interesting questions and your deep thoughts about everything._

_To be sincere, he is not the only one who misses you. My days seem to be longer than usual without you by my side; my nights are a torture because I cannot feel your skin next to mine; my life seems empty and I can only think about you all the time …_

_Come back soon, love, I need you!_

_Yours,_

_Xander_

_PS: I love you._


	9. Forgive and love again

_**Forgive and love again. (From "A time to heal" universe)**_

It took Hephaestion a long time to get over his kidnapping and rape; however, it was never completely over. Always something reminded him of that awful and unwanted experience.

Hephaestion was not comfortable with no one else except with Aetos and that only made things more difficult for the king, who did not know how to speak to him any more.

The brunette knew he had to let Alexander come closer to him if he wanted to have their life together back again but he felt tainted, broken, unworthy of his king.

However, Hephaestion also knew that there was only one thing he needed to do first, he had to forgive Alexander for what had happened; he had to forgive him for not meeting him that afternoon, he had to forgive him because he was not the guilty party in all his ordeal.

Hephaestion needed to forgive Alexander so he could love him again and live the happy life they both deserved.


End file.
